Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Not a single day passes in South Africa without various violent crimes making the front pages of the local media. The Cape Flats in the Western Cape is one of areas which is seriously affected by violent crime. During the past three years serious violent crimes committed with a firearm have shown a sharp increase. The investigation of such crimes is, just as its prevention, a priority of the SAPS. Investigation of serious violent crime has also changed since the amalgamation of the eleven police agencies in 1996. Whereas the Murder and Robbery Unit was responsible for investigation crimes such as murder and attempted murder using a firearm before 1996, most of these crimes are nowadays investigated by members attached to local detective units. Specialist knowledge is required for the investigation of the said crimes whereas local detectives have only received training in conducting general investigations. The question arising is what is the influence of this training on the investigation of serious crime and more specifically their solution. Against this background the current state of training received by local detectives is investigated as well as the influence on the investigation of serious violent crimes. The SAPS Ravensmead Detective Service is used as a case studyforthis purpose. Practice is compared to the theory and conclusions are drawn about the influence of training on the success rate during the investigation of serious violent crimes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nie 'n enkele dag gaan in Suid - Afrika verby sonder verskeie geweldsmisdade as voorbladnuus nie. Die Kaapse Vlakte in die Wes -Kaap is van die gebiede wat erg deur ernstige geweldsmisdaad geraak word. Die afgelope drie jaar het ernstige geweldsmisdaad wat gepleeg word deur die gebruik van 'n vuurwapen skerp gestyg. Die ondersoek van dié misdade is net soos die voorkoming daarvan vir die SAPD 'n prioriteit. Die ondersoek van ernstige geweldsmisdaad het na die amalgamering van elf polisie - agentskappe in 1996 verander. Waar die Moord - en - Roofeenheid voor 1996 vir die ondersoek van misdade soos moord en poging tot moord met 'n vuurwapen gepleeg, verantwoordelik was, word die meeste van die misdade nou deur lede verbonde aan plaaslike speureenhede ondersoek. Gespesialiseerde kennis word benodig vir die ondersoek van die genoemde misdade. Plaaslike speurders het slegs opleiding ontvang om algemene ondersoeke waar te neem. Die vraag wat nou ontstaan is wat is die invloed hiervan op die ondersoek van ernstige geweldsmisdaad en meer spesifiek die oplossing daarvan. Teen hierdie agtergrond word ondersoek ingestel na die huidige stand van opleiding van plaaslike speurders en die uitwerking daarvan op die ondersoek van ernstige geweldsmisdaad. Vir hierdie doeleindes word SAPD Ravensmead Speurdiens as gevalstudie gebruik. Die praktyk word met die teorie vergelyk en gevolgtrekkings word gemaak oor die invloed van opleiding op die suksessyfer in die ondersoek van ernstige geweldsmisdaad.

The research project investigated the impact of the Firearms Control Act (FCA) 60 of 2000 in restricting gun ownership for at-risk individuals in the Pretoria North Firearm Registration Centre (FRC) policing area and identified prevention strategy as well as specific factors that contributed to this problem. Secondary prevention focuses on situational factors that reduces the means and opportunity for at-risk people to commit crime and can be applied in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. One hundred and thirteen legal firearm owners in the Pretoria North FRC policing area responded to the questionnaire schedule. Data was also collected through interviews with Designated Firearm Officers (DFO) and court officials in that area. Specific factors have been identified that contribute to firearms landing in the hands of at-risk individuals in the Pretoria North FRC policing area. They are among others, poor administration of some sections of the FCA like background checks and section 102 and 103 unfitness declarations. The role of the DFO in continuous public education program on the FCA is also invaluable. The same goes to the general public s involvement in the identification of at-risk individuals. The South African Police Service management needs to address issues within the police service such as additional trained personnel, allocation of sufficient logistical resources like vehicles, computers and scanners to ensure effectiveness in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. Several secondary role players have been identified that should work closely with the primary role players to address this problem. The recommendations drawn from conclusions as well as the inter-departmental role of all the different role players may assist in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. / Police Practice / M.Tech. (Policing)

Violent cnme is among the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of South African society, it has a severely traumatising effect on the populations concerned. Based on research :findings and existing literature, this study explores traumatic effects of violent crime on the most intimate associate of the victim (the partner). Accordingly, this study deals with the much-neglected topic of secondary trauma, by focusing on the following aspects of or conditions associated with violent crime and the secondary victim: cognitive, emotional and relational effects the experience of trauma, loss, vulnerability, depression and acute stress. It reveals that, depending on the severity of the incident, its consequences for the partner of the victim may range from post-traumatic stress to acute stress or secondary traumatic stress. From the similar results returned for primary and secondary victims, it is apparent that in the future, both victim and supporter should have their needs addressed with equal emphasis. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Councelling)

This research focused on the personal experiences of both male and female victims of violent crimes. The aim of this research was to explore how indigenous Black South Africans understand and deal with victimisation. An African epistemology was used to help gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of the participants. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategy. Five participants were selected for this study. Data was collected using individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Based on the transcribed data, themes were extracted and analysed using content analysis. The results indicate that participants attributed varying meanings to their victimisation. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in English / As an external cause of death, strangulation represents an extreme and particularly pernicious form of violence. Following the evidence gap in the extant literature, the current research examined the incidence, distributions, individual and situational predictors, and structural determinants of homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg for the period 2001-2010. The thesis is structured around four discrete but interrelated studies, which collectively offer an initial contribution to the body of scholarship on homicide generally, and on the characteristics and patterns of strangulation homicide specifically. The research drew on data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System and the South African National Census. Study I is a descriptive study that quantifies the extent of homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg and describes its distribution by characteristics of person, time, place and alcohol consumption. The remaining studies are analytical in focus, and are aimed at explaining homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg in terms of its determinants. These studies are differentiated by their focus on individual-level and neighbourhood-level risks. Study II assesses overall homicide strangulation risk in relation to all the other leading causes of homicide. Study III undertakes further disaggregation to investigate homicidal strangulation risk by gender specifically. Study IV considers the socio-structural correlates and geographic distributions of fatal strangulation. The study engages select micro-level and macro-level theories that focus on the intersection between vulnerability and routine activities, gender and neighbourhood derivatives of violence to explain the social ecology of lethal strangulation. The research findings demonstrate that homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg is a unique phenomenon that is distinct from overall homicide. As the fourth leading cause of homicide in the City of Johannesburg, fatal strangulation exhibits a marked female preponderance in victimisation and distinctive socio-demographic, spatio-temporal, sex-specific and neighbourhood-level variation in risk. The study is aligned with the increasing trend towards disaggregating overall homicide into more defined and conceptually meaningful categories of homicide. The study may represent one of the first empirical investigations that also attempts to offer theoretically-derived explanations of homicidal strangulation in South Africa. Fatal strangulation is a multi-faceted phenomenon that requires multi-dimensional and multi-level interventions directed at several points of its social ecology. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

The research project investigated the impact of the Firearms Control Act (FCA) 60 of 2000 in restricting gun ownership for at-risk individuals in the Pretoria North Firearm Registration Centre (FRC) policing area and identified prevention strategy as well as specific factors that contributed to this problem. Secondary prevention focuses on situational factors that reduces the means and opportunity for at-risk people to commit crime and can be applied in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. One hundred and thirteen legal firearm owners in the Pretoria North FRC policing area responded to the questionnaire schedule. Data was also collected through interviews with Designated Firearm Officers (DFO) and court officials in that area. Specific factors have been identified that contribute to firearms landing in the hands of at-risk individuals in the Pretoria North FRC policing area. They are among others, poor administration of some sections of the FCA like background checks and section 102 and 103 unfitness declarations. The role of the DFO in continuous public education program on the FCA is also invaluable. The same goes to the general public s involvement in the identification of at-risk individuals. The South African Police Service management needs to address issues within the police service such as additional trained personnel, allocation of sufficient logistical resources like vehicles, computers and scanners to ensure effectiveness in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. Several secondary role players have been identified that should work closely with the primary role players to address this problem. The recommendations drawn from conclusions as well as the inter-departmental role of all the different role players may assist in restricting firearms from at-risk individuals. / Police Practice / M.Tech. (Policing)

Violent cnme is among the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of South African society, it has a severely traumatising effect on the populations concerned. Based on research :findings and existing literature, this study explores traumatic effects of violent crime on the most intimate associate of the victim (the partner). Accordingly, this study deals with the much-neglected topic of secondary trauma, by focusing on the following aspects of or conditions associated with violent crime and the secondary victim: cognitive, emotional and relational effects the experience of trauma, loss, vulnerability, depression and acute stress. It reveals that, depending on the severity of the incident, its consequences for the partner of the victim may range from post-traumatic stress to acute stress or secondary traumatic stress. From the similar results returned for primary and secondary victims, it is apparent that in the future, both victim and supporter should have their needs addressed with equal emphasis. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Councelling)

This research focused on the personal experiences of both male and female victims of violent crimes. The aim of this research was to explore how indigenous Black South Africans understand and deal with victimisation. An African epistemology was used to help gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of the participants. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategy. Five participants were selected for this study. Data was collected using individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Based on the transcribed data, themes were extracted and analysed using content analysis. The results indicate that participants attributed varying meanings to their victimisation. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in English / As an external cause of death, strangulation represents an extreme and particularly pernicious form of violence. Following the evidence gap in the extant literature, the current research examined the incidence, distributions, individual and situational predictors, and structural determinants of homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg for the period 2001-2010. The thesis is structured around four discrete but interrelated studies, which collectively offer an initial contribution to the body of scholarship on homicide generally, and on the characteristics and patterns of strangulation homicide specifically. The research drew on data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System and the South African National Census. Study I is a descriptive study that quantifies the extent of homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg and describes its distribution by characteristics of person, time, place and alcohol consumption. The remaining studies are analytical in focus, and are aimed at explaining homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg in terms of its determinants. These studies are differentiated by their focus on individual-level and neighbourhood-level risks. Study II assesses overall homicide strangulation risk in relation to all the other leading causes of homicide. Study III undertakes further disaggregation to investigate homicidal strangulation risk by gender specifically. Study IV considers the socio-structural correlates and geographic distributions of fatal strangulation. The study engages select micro-level and macro-level theories that focus on the intersection between vulnerability and routine activities, gender and neighbourhood derivatives of violence to explain the social ecology of lethal strangulation. The research findings demonstrate that homicidal strangulation in the City of Johannesburg is a unique phenomenon that is distinct from overall homicide. As the fourth leading cause of homicide in the City of Johannesburg, fatal strangulation exhibits a marked female preponderance in victimisation and distinctive socio-demographic, spatio-temporal, sex-specific and neighbourhood-level variation in risk. The study is aligned with the increasing trend towards disaggregating overall homicide into more defined and conceptually meaningful categories of homicide. The study may represent one of the first empirical investigations that also attempts to offer theoretically-derived explanations of homicidal strangulation in South Africa. Fatal strangulation is a multi-faceted phenomenon that requires multi-dimensional and multi-level interventions directed at several points of its social ecology. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

M.A. / Crime hits the poor hardest since they are least able to cope with its consequences. In South Africa violent crime especially is increasing and in communities like Mamelodi, citizens are responding by taking the law into their own hands. Vigilantism proliferates necessitating police action and further straining a historically difficult community-police relationship which Community Police Forums (CPFs) aim to transform. This study looks at how residents of Stanza Bopape, an informal settlement in Mamelodi, organise themselves against crime. It considers the implications of this organisation for the CPF, a cornerstone of the Community Policing Model now enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and examines ways in which the CPF can retain support and enhance its credibility within the community. The opportunity is provided for many different voices in the community to be heard so that diverse groups can participate in the ongoing quest for an effective strategy against crime.